Every so often, an article appears haranguing 'today's youth' for their lack of engagement with nature. We sit on our Playstations all day, with an iPhone on our laps so we can flick between screens every second to absorb a constant stream of meaningless celebrity gossip whilst mutilating zombies, never having seen so much as a blade of grass in the flesh. As a young birder growing up reading this sort of article (or the endless, tedious Birdforum comments on the issue), I can only say that they are counter-productive and dispiriting for the very people they aim to encourage. To hear that there are no young birders around, that you are isolated and different, creates a barrier that is difficult to overcome. Why would you put effort in trying to find other people your age who share your passion when you have already been told there is none?

Danny's argument differs slightly from this familiar narrative, but I fear with the same negative, off-putting outcome. In this reading, there are plenty of 'interested' youths, signing up for conservation courses and over-subscribing any available jobs, but they are not of a high enough calibre to properly support the work of the current conservation NGOs, and they do not constitute a coherent (yet undefined) movement. The blame for this, rather than being the fault of the youth, is a lack of engagement from the large conservation NGOs, particularly within the 18-25 age bracket. Essentially there are too few engaged 18-25 year-olds with the ability to make a difference, and it is the responsibility of large conservation NGOs to resolve this problem.

From my point of view, this reading of the situation is wrong in several ways, and is even harmful in the way the older, more clichéd articles were. Whilst I don't wish to comment too much on an overarching 'conservation' movement, I do know a bit about the birding scene, and I suspect that it is reasonably reflective of any larger nature or conservation movement. Within birding, whilst it may have been true a few years back that there was no coherent, appealing youth groups within birding, it no longer is. Both Next Generation Birders and A Focus on Nature (for more general naturalists) provide a fantastic forum- one of the recommendations for action in Danny's blog- from which young birders can meet, share ideas and generally evolve a sense of community. To characterise today's young enthusiasts as naïve, un-knowledgeable people prepared to drop £30,000 on a university course they know very little about, is not only to ignore all the people on NGB and AFON who are the very opposite of this, but it will also actively discourage the less engaged and knowledgeable from looking for these communities by denying their existence.

It's not even clear that attempting to engage with this age group in the way advocated by Danny's article would be positive for the larger NGOs. It only takes a brief look through the annals of Twitter marketing failures to see just how hard it is to appeal to this age group, and it is often huge corporations with massive marketing budgets that are making this cock-ups. Do we really want our environmental NGOs diverting vital resources away from conservation in order to work out a strategy to appeal to an audience that is notoriously difficult to connect to? A large part of the problem is that those in this age bracket (including myself) often want to create our own identities, to differentiate ourselves from what went before, hence the advantages of groups like AFON and NGB. The RSPB have been remarkably and commendably quick in recognising this, offering assistance to NGB to grow support for conservation in a way that wouldn't work if operated through official channels like RSPB Phoenix. It may be in the nature of these newer 'un-official' groups to be somewhat ephemeral, with each new generation wishing to create new identities and doing things their own way, but surely it is better for NGOs to offer a dynamic, supportive response to these groups as a strategy, than to risk diverting £1000s of pounds of funding finding strategies that are always likely to prove unappealing to its' target audience.

That's not to say I disagree with all Danny had to say – or even the main thrust of his argument, that environmental NGOs are failing the 18-25 age group in becoming the future of conservation. To work out the best way for the RSPB and other groups to engage with this audience, it is necessary to look at what young people have most to offer. Clearly it's not money, of the RSPBs million plus members only a small proportion are ever going to fit into this category, and they are going to be less well off. I would envisage that the vast majority of the RSPBs youth membership have their membership paid for by well wishing relatives, or as family memberships, regardless of any interest shown by the younger people themselves. The dynamics of birding have changed as well, it's no longer a hobby adopted at a young age and continued through into older age, there are now far more beginners in the 40+ age bracket, replete with top range optics and DSLRs wandering round RSPB reserves. From a purely economic perspective, this should be the target audience for new membership campaigns, for finding new volunteers and support- instead of trying to develop a potentially non-existent loyalty from a dwindling group of youngsters.

Instead, what's there is dynamism, energy, new ideas and enthusiasm, the same young people have to offer any corporate company. Many industries and companies acknowledge this, and offer an array of internships and graduate roles to young people to gain broad experience in their chosen career paths. It is here that the RSPB and other large environmental NGOs (although not all) let young enthusiasts down the most.

The RSPB job application forms are an exercise in intimidation, with huge amounts of skills and knowledge required for often the most simple of roles. Invariably a degree in a related subject is required. Furthermore, it is often the case that months of free labour, in the form of volunteering, is often required before even being considered for a job. Volunteering in general is of course a good thing, but as a pre-requisite for a job, can become a hurdle that rules out many talented individuals if they do not have the wealth to work for free for extended periods of time, or suitable access to reserves etc. For those coming out of university with upwards of £20,000 debt, finding any sort of paying job can take precedence over months of unpaid labour, regardless of the calibre of the individual. All of this serves to put off many talented young people looking for work within conservation NGOs, and substantially narrows the pool of people likely to be applying for a role, thus unnecessarily ruling out people who could be doing fantastic work for conservation.

In my opinion, the best thing the RSPB and other large conservation NGOs could do to help and encourage young people is to establish an annual 6-month paid graduate internship programme, for those with a genuine interest in conservation and nature. Ideally this would be done in combination with several NGOs, allowing different experiences within different organisations, and spreading the costs. Roles could be offered in different areas, 'field and reserve work' for example, or 'research', 'campaigning and media engagement' and other important aspects of these NGOs work. Importantly, however, recruits should be drawn for the broadest possible of backgrounds, paid so as not to rule out people on a financial basis, and regarded as a way of finding the best 'raw materials' to train and teach, rather than as a route in for those already with huge skill-bases.

This in turn I feel would further encourage the 'youth movement' so advocated by Danny, by showing that efforts and enthusiasm can be rewarded and appreciated by the large NGOs, that what can be accomplished by young people is still valuable.

Monday, 7 April 2014

The next day we headed to Yotvata in the morning with the intention of throughly exploring the large arable fields and excellent sewage works.

We headed to the sewage works first, which were excellent, with at least three Citrine wagtails, a dozen or so Bluethroats (both white and red spots) dashing about in the reeds, 2 Little crakes and a Savi's warbler singing.

Selection of wagtails

Graceful prinia nest building

One of many Bluethroats

We then headed to the North fields. On arriving we picked up a female kestrel sp. Tim refused to look at it as he didn't want his first Lesser kestrel to be an imm/female type, and whilst I was identifying it, he called to get on a wader going over, the immediately shouted 'Caspian plover'! The air became electric as we all swung round to get on it, zipping through fairly high up. Thankfully it slowed and turned, then came in to the fields, giving great views over the course of the next hour before twitchers started to arrive and we drifted away.

Tim got his male Lesser kestrel whilst watching the Caspian plover

Black kites were common over the fields

We had heard that there was an Oriental skylark on South Circular field, so we headed there in the midday heat without very great hopes of success. After flushing several hundred Short-toed larks, along with a few buntings and pipits, three small larks flew up, all calling identically. What was going on? But sure enough, we persevered and there was indeed 3 Oriental skylark (and one European skylark) feeding along the weedy strip. Happily one perched for views, albeit somewhat distantly in the heat haze.

Oriental skylark

We then headed back to Km 20, as the heat had quietened most of the passerine action at Yotvata.

Apparently a bit scarce

Spur-winged plover

coutelli Water pipit in Km19-20 ditch

The next day, myself and James headed to the Dead Sea, to try and catch up with some of the specialities. In terms of the birds seen, we had a fantastic day, but most of the real specialities seemed to avoid the camera lens, so sadly not many pics!

We started at a wadi just south of the Dead Sea to look for Arabian warblers at dawn. Again, the wadi was incredibly alive with migrants, with at least two species of sandgrouse flying about. Eventually we tracked own a male Arabian warbler, which gave brief views before vanishing off down the wadi again.

Tawny pipit

Orphean warblers provided good comparisons

We then headed on to Lot reservoir where we picked up a singing male Dead Sea sparrow, several singing Clamorous reed warblers and Indian silverbills

These look like they should be in Star Wars

This was on the fence around Lot Reservoir

We then headed on to En Gedi and a steep mountainous wadi to look for Sinai rosefinch. We went too far up, but the raptor watching was again spectacular, as were the Fan-tailed ravens and Nubian ibex.

Fan-tailed raven

Male Tristram's starling

Black storks were going over with the raptors

WE gave up after midday when the heat became too much and spent a few hours around En Gedi. Fortunately with a bit of encouragemnet from Josh Jones, we decided to return late afternoon, and found the spring. Within minutes a pair of Sinai rosefinch came in to drink, and the disembodied song that had been unlocatable in the morning eventually gave itself up as a distantly singing Mountain bunting. Excellent! but we had to dash to catch Barak Granit and his tour for the evening, rather than attempting closer views. We arrived with a few minutes spare, to be informed it was a perfect night for it. Good to his word, Barak had us watching a hunting Nubian nightjar within twenty minutes, then an hour or so later, a calling Hume's owl! All in all, a very succesful day.

Sunday, 6 April 2014

I had heard how good spring trips to Israel could be, so when Tim Jones discussed the possibility of going out there for ten days in late March and early April, I decided to grasp the opportunity. As well as Tim, Rael Butcher and James Shergold came along, and we found pretty cheap flights in to Tel Aviv on the 23rd. We booked accommodation in a cheap hostel in Eilat, and based ourselves there throughout the trip.

We arrived too late to do any birding on 23rd, and just drove to Eilat. The 24th saw myself, James and Tim head to Holland Park early morning to try and catch up with a reported Black bush robin, but unfortunately no-one knew anything about it, and despite extensive searching. That said, Tim and James had wracked up half a dozen lifers before I'd even got my scope out of it's case, and after a few hours, I'd seen a fair few new birds myself. Holland Park was a fantastic start, absolutely dripping with migrants as well as some of the resident specialities.

As we were leaving we bumoed into Paul French, who told us he'd just found a Semi-collared flycatcher in Ofira park, right in the centre of Eilat, so we nipped round to have a look

Semi-collared flycatcher

Right in the centre of Eilat

The rest of the day was less succesful, as we got our bearings, tried out a few places and had a few trips to North Beach, where there were plenty of white-eyed gulls, terns but no sign of the brown booby.

The next morning we left our hostel at dawn to do some early morning birding in the Eilat mountains before the raptors got started. We came across this female Hooded wheatear, as well as a couple of more flighty males, as well as several White-crowned black wheatears

Hooded wheatear

Tim and Rael trekking in the Eilat mountains

By mid-morning raptors had started to stream over the Eilat mountains, with penty of Steppe eagles, 1000s of Steppe buzzards, Egyptian vultures, Pallid harrier and others. Hopefully I will do a seperate blog post with some raptor photos soon.

We spent the afternoon birding around Km20 and the IRBC, getting highlights like Namaqua dove and Pallas's gull.

The next morning saw a very early start as we made for the vulture feeding station near S'de Boker. No sign of the hoped for hyaenas, but a pair of distant wolves made up for it, as well as flyover Richard's pipit and spotted sandgrouse and an impressive number of vultures first thing.

Distant pair of wolves

This jackal ran across the track on the way back to the main road

Unfortunately, we stayed for little too long, and missed our chance to see Mcqueen's bustards displaying in the early morning, and there was no sign of tghem in the increasing mid-morning temperatures. Sandgrouse were also notably absent around the sewage pools at Nizzana, but there was still some outstanding desert birding to be had, including one wadi absolutely stuffed with migrants.

Southern grey shrike aucheri

Chukar

Part of a family group of 4 CCC with juvs

Eastern black-eared wheatear

We flushed these feeding out in the desert on lush growth

Pin-tailed sandgrouse

Desert lark- a very washed out individual

Red-rumped swallow

We decided to wait it out until the evening when the bustards would be back out displaying again, but whilst we were escaping the midday heat in a nearby shack/cafe, news came through of a Pied bushchat back at Neot Samadar. We decided to dash back for it, and leave the bustards for another day. The drive back was somewhat eventful, whilst James slept, myself and Tim managed to count 300+ painted ladies crossing north over the road in just 15 minutes whilst the road was running east-west. Truly incredible, although there seemed to be an even higher density moving on our final day further north in Tel Aviv. Certainly our windscreen was constantly smeared with the unfortunate ones.

Saturday, 5 April 2014

A few highlights from work and the odd birding trip in the UK at the start of this year:

The period started quietly, but as always there were plenty of gulls at Rufforth tip, with a smattering of Iceland and Glaucous gulls around, and Chris' 3w Kumlien's continued to knock about.

The first hints of spring came on a walk along Filey bay with Cat, with double figures of skylark arriving in off. The sea was a bit more wintery though, with slav grebe, velvet scoter and a few red-throats seen distantly. The cute sanderlings stole the show though, and I put up with still digging sand out of my hair the next day to get a few eye level shots.

Young male peregrine over Bank Island

In terms of finding birds, the first weekend of March was the highlight, when this Tundra bean goose showed up at Castle Howard in the feral goose flock one afternoon, and the next day, two more bean geese were at Bubwith Bridge, but stayed too frustratingly distant to be ceratin of racial ID, despite hinting at being Taiga.

From March, the survey season picks up a little and I was kept busy at work out in the field (thankfully the weather was pretty good):

These always brighten up a survey

It's been great working on quite a few sites with these this year:

This 2cy male came close whilst hunting woodpigeons

Showing the white patchy markings to the mantle

...and clear streaking on the underside

Meanwhile it was good to start bumping into the odd barn owl back out hunting in the day again. After a poor breeding season in 2013, this was a hard species to see locally over winter with the adults hunting almost entirely after full darkness

Carrying food back to it's box

Church Bridge at dusk

And some from work trips further north:

Adders were out basking in early March

And ravens were 'gronking' and displaying overhead

Always a highlight of any day!

And it was good to see these back on their ledge

Whilst it was pretty quiet locally in March, there were a few nice bits and pieces to see:

About Me

Hi. I am employed as an Ornithologist by Arcus Consulting, a job that gets me out and about birding all over the North and East of England. I live in York, so regularly go birding in the Lower Derwent Valley and spend my winter birding time at Rufforth tip. Spring and Autumns are spent trudging the cliff-top paths looking for migrants at Whitby